1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a single price electromechanically actuated vending machine including an electronic multiple purchase module giving the machine the capability of selling products at a discount if purchased collectively during a single sales transaction. More specifically, the discount module of the present invention enables the vending machine to sell products in one-for, two-for, or three-for combinations during a single sales transaction or vend cycle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, attempts have been made to offer discount prices for vended products purchased in large quantities as an inducement to customers to purchase more products. Various systems have been designed and implemented for providing vending machines with this capability, but none of these systems of the prior art have had the requisite simplicity and low cost to facilitate retrofitting into existing state of the art coin-operated vending machines. One example of a prior art device of this general type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,792 to Levasseur, et al. The Levasseur Patent describes a vending machine control circuit, including solid state control circuitry, and it alludes to the desirability of providing discount prices for products purchased in large quantities. A general description of the implementation of discount pricing in the Levasseur system is described in column 8, lines 3 to 20. However, this description merely addresses the desirability of providing discount pricing, and does not disclose a specific embodiment of how discount pricing could be effected by retrofitting state of the art vending machines. Accordingly, the Levasseur Patent is merely evidence of a need in the art for the development of a satisfactory system for providing discount pricing for vending machines.